Saturday, October 25, 1997
Mothers sentenced to attend school with truant
daughters
By ROY A. JONES II / Abilene Reporter-News
SWEETWATER -- Those three students who looked old enough to
be the mothers of students at Sweetwater High School this past
week were.
Three Sweetwater mothers spent the entire week attending classes
with their sophomore and junior children -- as punishment for
the youths being habitually truant.
Nolan County Court-at-Law Judge Glenn Harrison recently gave
each woman a choice of attending school with her child each day
for a week or paying a fine ranging from $150 to $250 for allowing
the child to miss school.
Each chose school -- with two reportedly having to take off
work to return to the classroom.
Assistant Principal Terry Pittman said all three moms successfully
completed the week of classes, "shadowing their student throughout
the school day."
"I think it was embarrassing for the kids, and maybe for
the parents, but maybe it will make an impression on them both,"
Pittman said. He added he hopes the situation will show other
students and their parents that truancy will not be tolerated
in the SISD.
Pittman said Judge Harrison warned the parents that if they
or their children missed any school he could have them back before
him for contempt of court. If held in contempt, the parents could
be jailed and the students could be placed in detention, he added.
In fact, Pittman said, four juveniles who were already on probation
for truancy but who continued to skip school were ordered placed
in C.S.C. Sweetwater (former Recor), a juvenile detention center.
A fifth juvenile appearing in court for excessive truancy didn't
get a second chance by being placed on probation. Harrison held
the youth in contempt of court for his insubordinate attitude
and ordered him into detention also.
Harrison said part of his goal "is to get these kids who
are deliberately skipping school to see that their actions affect
the lives of others."
"At the same time, what we are doing is also a reminder
to parents that they are responsible for the actions of their
children, at least until they reach age 18," he said.
Too many times, he said, parents say their children "are
too big for them to do anything with them." But now that
the actions of the children are affecting them directly they are
changing that attitude and trying to keep their kids in school,
he added.
Superintendent David Welch said the SISD is "very appreciative"
of Judge Harris and the county juvenile department for their enforcement
of truancy laws. For such a law to be effective those charged
with enforcing it must be willing to put teeth into it, he said.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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